


Between the Lines

by Ragnar__Danneskjold



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-28 19:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12613864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ragnar__Danneskjold/pseuds/Ragnar__Danneskjold
Summary: A series of connected one-shots and stories that will take place in between episodes of Season 4 of Rebels, and may continue on past the show's conclusion. Kanera and Sabezra/Ezrabine pairings, naturally. Will be mostly fluff, some angst, and minor conversations, relationship moments, and other character stuff taking place between the main action of the episodes.





	1. 0 - Foreward

So I've decided what I will be doing for my next major work. I got a lot of suggestions about what to do after The Argument, which should be completed shortly. Many said that I should do a rewrite of Season 4, building off of The Argument and taking place alongside the show but after the conclusion of that story. I have decided not to do that exactly, but will instead be doing a series of somewhat disconnected stories that are not a sequel to The Argument, but do take place alongside Season 4 of Rebels. These will be in-between moments of the show. Stuff that I can imagine takes place between the episodes. I've decided to start after episodes 3 and 4, In the Name of the Rebellion, but I will likely return to the events around those first 4 episodes in flashbacks, references, or memories. Given that those 4 are basically one big sequence of action, I couldn't really think of a place to start, but I don't want to ignore them completely, so you'll probably see them brought up here and there. I'm a much more character and relationship writer than an action writer anyways, so I'll be letting the show handle most of the fighting and action, and I'll be inserting more mild and personal stuff that I think can, did, or at least should have happened in between episodes. These chapters likely won't be very long, as I'm not planning to have a lot of stuff actually happen in them, more like conversations, little moments, etc. Consider it a series of connected one-shots if you will.

Again, this is not a sequel to The Argument, and while I did really enjoy that story, I had always intended it to be its own thing. Mostly because I wasn't even sure if I would ever get past writing a chapter or two and wasn't sold on this whole "writing" thing in the first place. But now that I've gotten my feet wet, I think this is the route I'm going to take. It will probably develop a lot slower than The Argument as I will be writing it alongside the episodes as they air and take place over a longer period of time. So if you're expecting Sabine and Ezra to be making out in Chapter 3, you'll be waiting a long time unfortunately. But make no mistake, it will be a Sabezra/Ezrabine story. I ship the hell out of those two and anything I write Rebels related will eventually have that involved. They're just meant to be, even if Filoni himself doesn't see that. But their relationship in this story will take a lot longer to get off the ground I think, and there is always the off chance that Filoni might actually put them together in the show, and I don't want to usurp that. He's just plain better than me at all of this, even if I don't necessarily agree with all of the choices he makes (he needs to put Sabine and Ezra together and if he doesn't, he's just plain wrong. There, I said it).

And lastly, I'm not big on AU stuff. Canon is Canon to me, and what happens in the show is what happens. So that being said, there is a chance I might write myself into a corner and end up going one direction only to have the show contradict it later on. I'm going to try not to let that happen, but there is a chance of that since this basically amounts to me writing a story "with" Filoni, except I have no idea what's going to happen in the parts he's writing until I see them like the rest of you. So I hope you'll bear with me as I try to fit the stuff I write into the stuff he wrote.

And as always, all characters, references, planets, species, etc are the property of Disney and they retain all rights.


	2. 1 - Meditation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabine is not having a good night and looks to Ezra for a special kind of help. No, not that kind of help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standard Disclaimer: All characters, references, planets, species, etc are the property of Disney and they retain all rights.
> 
> Timeline: Between episodes 4 and 5 of Season 4, Star Wars Rebels, after returning to Yavin following the mission with Saw Gerrera.

The young woman walked deliriously through the wide yawning gap that made the entrance to the former Jedi temple turned Rebel base on Yavin 4. Evening was just setting on the moon and the red sphere of the planet Yavin itself dominated the sky and partially blocked whatever remaining sunlight was left for the day. While the moon was covered almost entirely by dense jungle, the distance from its star and orbit made for what amounted to 'seasons' on the moon. She had been told that this time of year was supposed to be mild and temperate, but the jungle air felt clammy on her skin. Her limbs were chilled while her forehead felt like it was on fire. Sabine Wren was not having a good night.

Sabine stood just outside the main hanger entry passage looking over the wide open landing pad at the dozens of fighters, transports, and cargo freighters that were currently being serviced by swarms of Rebellion maintenance techs. More fighters that were in need of more serious repairs lay back inside the bay behind her and she could almost feel the buzz of excitement and energy as the rebels around her went about their business. There were always more jobs to do, missions to go on or return from, things to repair and replace, cargo to unload, and the hundreds of other tasks that kept the rebels safe, well fed, equipped, and ready for the next fight. Night or day, there was always something happening on Yavin.

Sabine for her part had just finished repainting her armor and was letting it dry in her cabin on the Ghost. After their spontaneous mission with the infamous Saw Gerrera and subsequent daring escape, she had been taken by the sudden need for a change. Such desires were far from uncommon with her, and she kept plenty of paint on the Ghost for when the fancy struck her. But most of all, she had needed the distraction.

She now wore only a pair of modest if slightly form fitting workout pants and a tank top, and of course, her weapons belt. Armor or no, going unarmed simply wasn't an option for the young Mandalorian woman. Never mind the near constant state of danger she was in simply being here with other rebels, or the price on her head from years of flouting Imperial law; she was the only Mandalorian on the moon and had an image to keep up. Tough, determined, and always ready for a fight. She knew that's what others saw when they looked at her, and in more quiet moments, she almost regretted it.

Sometimes Sabine felt herself not wanting to be looked at as only a warrior, or a testy and easily annoyed fighter. She didn't even always want to be looked at as the creative and expressive artist she had been her entire life. Sometimes, in her loneliest moments, she wanted to be seen only as a young woman. Maybe a girl others would want to be around for their own enjoyment, not simply for her skill in battle. To be appreciated as just a person, not part of a team of soldiers, or even a Mandalorian. Just a girl with her own dreams and desires, to laugh and relax with good friends, to feel wanted and desired for her own sake, not just for her usefulness.

She knew that she had drawn the eyes of more than a few of the younger pilots and soldiers in the Rebellion and had even caught Wedge Antilles giving her a cocky smile or a wave as he boarded his fighter. But she suspected that even he didn't really see the real Sabine, just the image she gave off. Admittedly an image which she had carefully cultivated, but an image nonetheless.

Sabine's introspection was broken when she saw two figures also leaving the hanger, making their way towards the clearing just outside the landing pad. A tall lean man with long chestnut hair tied back in a pony-tail, and a shorter, but not by much, boy with short dark midnight blue hair and shoulders much broader than she remembered him having.

'When had that happened…?' Sabine mused to herself, eyeing the boy who could only be Ezra Bridger, as he followed his Jedi Master, Kanan Jarrus into the night. Sure Ezra had been growing. She had been there the whole time while it happened. Spending 4 years almost non-stop with a boy just entering adolescence meant that she would be there to witness all the changes he went through, sometimes to comical or disgusting effect. But somehow she found herself realizing in this moment, she just hadn't been paying much attention. Maybe it was from how her first opinions towards the boy had been formed, he brazenly trying to flirt with her within moments of meeting, and barely letting up for what seemed like years. Maybe it was the constant fighting, or moving from planet to planet, looking over their shoulders for another Imperial attack. For whatever reason, Ezra had changed quite a bit, and somehow she had either not noticed, or had been ignoring it.

But he had stopped flirting with her. And he was a boy no longer. The man that followed Kanan towards the jungle had indeed grown, both in mind and body. He smiled less than he did before, told fewer jokes, and the pranks the two had shared when they were younger were now few and far between. There were times when she found herself making a comment to him, almost setting him up on purpose to make some sort of pass at her, not because she really intended to follow through, but simply because she missed the old Ezra. But he never took the bait anymore. His brows were furrowed in frustration far more than mirth. His words laced with despair or anger more than laughter.

And she had changed too she knew. She never could have guessed, even months ago, that she would have ever come this far. 19 years old and basically an adult herself now, redeemed in the eyes of her family, no longer Dar'Manda to her people, and she had even earned the respect of Bo-Kantan of House Kryze, a leader admired (and feared) by many. This older Sabine Wren stood taller than she had before, though shorter than Ezra now and not likely to ever tower over him like she had at first. She had filled out in many of the places a woman should, but still kept her petite, lithe, and athletic frame.

She had grown in more important ways as well, in some ways the opposite of Ezra. She had learned to trust others, first Kanan and Hera, and then Zeb, Ezra, other Rebels, Fenn Rau, though not Chopper. Her trust had some limits. She had even learned to open up her heart to her adopted family, something she had not allowed herself to do for years. Granted it had taken the stern tutelage of Kanan at the end of a lightsaber to finally uncork that long pent up bottle, but once done, her years of pain, regret, fear, despair, and disappointment in herself had poured out. And it had been worth it. A younger Sabine would be shut in her cabin this very moment, keeping away from people, reading, working, or most likely, painting, all by herself. That younger Sabine had preferred solitude more than anything and she wore her sarcastic and witty attitude almost like a second suit of armor, to keep people at bay and prevent them from seeing the girl underneath the brightly painted Beskar alloy.

She wondered if that was one of the reasons why art had always appealed to her. It allowed her to control exactly what emotions and thoughts she could express to others. She could put exactly what she wanted into a painting, no more no less, and show the galaxy precisely what she meant to. Her art was on her terms, not to be seen by anyone until it was just right. It was a form of expression, the greatest form in her eyes, but it was also another layer of armor. A way to pretend like she was letting it all out when she was in fact only letting people see what she wanted them to see.

But this Sabine had grown past that too. She had even recently allowed someone to watch her paint. It wasn't intentional by any means. Hera had been doing her regular maintenance of the ship and when she walked into Sabine's room to check something, Sabine had simply kept painting. In the past she might have told her to leave or covered it up, but that time she just kept going. Hera had noticed the change too it seemed, and had spent a little more time than she really needed in the girl's room, watching as she concentrated on the piece. It hadn't been anything particularly special, just some experiments with color and shading, but the point was that she actually let someone watch. And it hadn't bothered her in the least. That realization had made Sabine realize that she had finally grown up. Not that she was growing up, but that she actually had.

Sabine's abdomen suddenly spasmed in a brief but intense pain that caused her to wince and double over slightly.

'Yet another sign I'm a grown up' Sabine mused with annoyance. She had been a late bloomer in some of the more womanly areas of life, but her body was catching her up with a vengeance. The pains starting to grow in her stomach were an indication she was about to have a rough week. Her moodiness and general irritable state was another sign of what was to come in the next few days. It was one of the reasons why she was out here by herself right now. Lately she and Ezra had taken to eating together, planning missions together, doing weapons maintenance, even just relaxing in the common area around the other rebels their age. She didn't know why they had started, and couldn't even put her finger on when it had begun. Some time before heading back to Mandalore to rescue her father she guessed. But whatever the reason, more often than not she could be found somewhere close by to him.

Except for right now. She wasn't sure she wanted to be around anyone right now. She'd barely eaten anything that evening, and had given the cooks in the mess hall a few icy glares when they had run out of the sugary snacks she liked for weeks like this. She had felt hungry after the hour or so spent painting, but finding nothing to her liking, she had grown annoyed and stomped out of the dining room. And now, after brushing past Zeb, Hera, and Kallus in a huff, she found herself here. Apparently Kanan had located Ezra and now the two were off for some more of their Jedi training.

From her position near the far end of the entrance, Ezra and Kanan had obviously not seen her, and she watched from afar as the pair began to clear a small area of leaves and brush and prepare for another round of meditation. Almost unable to control herself, Sabine found herself walking in their direction, coming to just inside earshot of them as they prepared to train. Without quite knowing why, Sabine sat down on the ground and just watched.

"….no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force" Kanan was reciting calmly as the two Jedi knelt on the hard packed dirt in their customary mediation pose.

Sabine watched and listened as the they fell silent, only their deep steady breaths making any sound in the clearing. She could hear the sounds of birds and other creatures from the jungle, but they were far off and her attention was too drawn to the two Jedi to pay anything else much heed.

"Let your mind open itself to the Force Ezra." Kanan was saying again. "Take each emotion, each worry, each fear you have and let the Force take it from you. Hold onto nothing. Your fears and concerns will only hold you back. You must be willing to let go of it all"

Sabine had no idea what he was talking about. She had heard stuff like this from Kanan before, but mostly just passed it off as mystical claptrap. Sure she knew the Force was real and that Jedi could do and sense things others could not. But all this talk about there being no emotions seemed like nonsense to her. She knew Kanan was in love with Hera. Love was an emotion wasn't it? She had seen Kanan grow angry or frustrated. She had seen him laugh, cry, or even feel fear and uncertainty. How could there be no emotion if the man who said these things clearly felt them all.

And besides, Sabine thought to herself, emotions gave her strength. Her desire for honor caused her to feel something that drove her forward, onto the next challenge, to the next fight. Her emotions regarding her past had held her back, but her feelings of loyalty to her family and her people helped her overcome that. Her feelings towards Kanan and Hera, and even Zeb had caused her to risk her life on many occasions. They might be dead if her feelings of love and commitment to them hadn't made her take one more risk, fight just a little harder, to ensure the job was done and her family was safe. And her growing feelings of connection to Ezra had caused her to think and do many things that Sabine would never have imagined being capable of before. Emotions weren't a hinderance to her, they were the fuel of life.

Sabine knew of how Mandalorians thought of Jedi. She knew the old stories. Jedi who helped subjugate her people. Who used their mystical powers to fight against her ancestors and which fight had left her planet a desolate ruin. Granted her people had been fighting and destroying themselves and Mandalore long before that, but the Jedi were no help then. They were no beacon of light and serenity to the Mandalore of old. They were just another invading army from what she had been told. Using lightsabers instead of blasters, but an army that killed and destroyed just like any other. And an army that had defeated them, a shame still felt by Mandalorians today and which still harbored feelings of resentment and distrust towards anyone proclaiming to be a Jedi.

But she had seen other things. Not just stories, but things she had witnessed with her own two eyes. Kanan fighting to rescue children from the Inquisitors. Ezra never hesitating to help a poor and hungry citizen on a planet the vaunted Empire cared nothing about. Ahsoka Tano rushing off to give her life to help her two friends find a way to destroy the Empire. She had seen these Jedi commit acts of untold compassion and sacrifice. They had even come with her to Mandalore to help rescue her father and liberate her people. Jedi, not fighting against Mandalore; fighting for Mandalore. These weren't the treacherous invaders she had been told about. These were her friends. Her family. Kanan had taken her in and gave her new life and new purpose when everyone she had ever thought cared about her left her for dead. Ezra had become her best and most trusted friend when she wasn't even looking. These two Jedi had become two of the most important and admirable people she had ever known.

"I can sense your turmoil Ezra. Remember, my job isn't just to teach you how to be a Jedi yourself, but to guide you and help you along the way. If there's something you need to say, you can always tell me." Kanan was saying now in his 'father' voice. The pair had not moved, nor even opened their eyes. There was a serene calmness on both of their faces, and she could almost feel the tranquility emanating from them.

Ezra began speaking to Kanan about his reservations with Saw and Mon Mothma, how each seemed to be right in some ways, but wrong in many others. The Rebellion had honor, values, cared about life and freedom, even for the most defenseless and insignificant people. But it also seemed timid and uncertain, cautious to a fault. Saw on the other hand was straightforward, driven, focused on actually winning the war, but there was no line he wouldn't cross along the way. He was willing to let helpless prisoners die for what amounted to almost nothing in the end.

As Sabine listened to Ezra vent his own frustrations, she found herself agreeing with him. She had been having thoughts very similar to these herself. She liked being part of the Rebellion, but their hesitation to fight battles, even ones they could win, grated against her Mandalorian pride in an uncomfortable way. When they had taken the fight to Tiber Saxon and has band of collaborators, it had been a very Saw Gerrera type plan. Find the enemy, kill the enemy, rescue her father, destroy the weapon, save the day.

But she knew that if Saw had been there that day, fighting Saxon, he wouldn't have destroyed The Duchess. He would have used it against every Imperial he found, and done it with a manic smile on his face. She shuddered to think of what that arrogant abomination she had devised would be used for in the hands of a man like Saw. In the end, he was no different from Saxon. Saxon betrayed everything that it meant to be Mandalorian in order to win, using the very symbol of their people, their armor, against them. Saw would do the same. A different target, but the same ruthless and uncaring determination. And she knew one more thing. That she had been very tempted to do exactly the same thing. And that thought chilled her to the bone, even in the warm jungle air.

Kanan was getting to his feet now, telling Ezra to remain and mediate by himself for a little longer. Apparently the rest of their conversation had been concluded while she was reflecting on her own fears and uncertainties. Sabine suddenly felt an intense desire not to be seen by Kanan. She had no idea why, maybe she felt that he would think she was intruding on a private moment with Ezra, or involving herself in some sacred Jedi ritual, but she quickly got to her feet and dashed behind a stack of crates that was sitting near the edge of the landing pad.

Before long, Kanan walked past her, never giving her even a glance. She watched his tall figure grow smaller as he walked back to the rebel base, likely to find Hera, and soon she was left by herself. Well, not entirely.

Another shudder of pain and a wave of nausea washed over her as she stood near the crates. Getting up so suddenly and on an empty stomach probably hadn't helped her particular problem.

She turned and peered around the crates to see Ezra, still kneeling in his customary Jedi fashion, apparently still unaware of her presence.

"Sabine?"

Apparently not.

'Well kriff' she thought, letting out a sigh that wafted a loose strand of hair out of her face. Crossing her arms over her abdomen in a vain attempt to settle her stomach, she slowly walked over to where Ezra sat.

"Hey Ezra. Missed you at dinner" she said with a soft smile as she stood above him.

His eyes opened and the faint traces of his old sly grin appeared just around the corners of his mouth.

"You missed me huh?" he asked

"Shut up." She stated flatly. She was secretly happy to see he was getting a trace of his former charming self back. This serious and brooding Ezra was just a little too much for her. But she wasn't about to let him know that.

Sabine slowly sat down cross legged opposite Ezra, expecting him to do the same, but he did not break his meditation pose. Nor did he say anything else.

After a long moment, she continued "I didn't mean don't talk at all Di'kut".

Ezra opened his eyes again and looked like he was about to go for another round, so she changed the subject first.

"So all this meditation stuff…does it really work…? Like, make you feel better or whatever…?"

Ezra could sense she was actually trying to have somewhat of a serious moment with him, and decided the next charming comment that was sure to have her swooning in his arms could wait.

"Umm yeah, it really does. It helps to have the Force, but it's actually pretty relaxing by itself too." he told her, wondering why now after all these years she was suddenly asking about Jedi business.

"Could I try?" Sabine asked meekly. She didn't know why she was feeling so tentative right now. Or why she had asked about meditation. But Ezra looked so calm and peaceful and she felt a little jealous. To be able to just turn off all her competing feelings and pain and just feel…whatever it was that gave Jedi that damned impassive look, made her envy the young man.

Ezra was shocked, but only for a second. He had known Sabine Wren for over four years, and never, not once had she ever given his or Kanan's peculiar Jedi rituals a second thought. Sure she respected Kanan while he was meditating, and knew not to intrude when he was in his cabin alone, but more than once she had taken the opportunity to mess with Ezra while he was lost in his connection to the Force. Only after complaining to Kanan had that sort of thing stopped. But even after, she had always given him the impression that she thought the whole business was just a little silly.

"Um..sure, if you want." he said looking at her and still trying to figure out what she was really thinking.

Sabine rose slightly and shifted her legs to emulate his pose. Feet back and hands on her thighs, she settled back down and to the ground and let her eyes close.

"Soo…now what?" She asked, wondering what the big deal was.

Ezra had a brief moment of reflection where he considered how odd this whole situation must look. He, a Padawan learner, still young in the ways of the Jedi, teaching a non-Force sensitive Mandalorian the basics of meditation. He wondered if this is how Kanan felt when he first began teaching.

"Well…" he began trying to think of how to put it to words. The things that Kanan had taught him probably wouldn't work the same way for her, but he could give it a try and see what happened.

"First, slow your breathing. Try to make it even and regular. It helps to count in your head at first until you get a good pattern" He hoped that sounded wise and helpful, but he still felt like an idiot trying to teach her.

But Sabine did as she was told. Her eyes closed, she began counting to four slowly in her head, first breathing deeply in, and then out. She felt as silly as Ezra did, but neither knew that of the other. Before long, she found that she did feel a little more calm.

"Now, start thinking about the things you're worried about. Isolate them in your mind. Imagine placing them into boxes and closing the lid, or maybe pushing them out of your head. Do that with each fear and doubt until there is nothing left" he told her.

So she tried that next. Her worry about what was going on back on Mandalore. Her fears about how many times Ezra and her had nearly died the previous day. Her shame at how close she had come to using the weapon she had devised. Even the pain and nausea her body was causing her. Each one she tried to think about on its own, then put it out of her mind.

But it didn't seem to be doing much of anything for her. Her head still swam and ached, her skin still felt both hot and cold at the same time, her heart still beat fast beneath her chest, and her stomach still growled angrily at her.

"This would probably work a lot better if I had the Force" she said sarcastically.

"You do" Ezra said, causing Sabine's eyes to flutter open and look at him.

"I mean, everyone does" Ezra clarified. "Kanan said that the Force is within all life in the galaxy. It's in the trees, the birds, even the insects. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the universe together. Some people are more naturally in tune with it than others. More open to it I guess, but no one is cut off from the Force. Not even you"

Well that sounded nice. But it wasn't exactly helpful. Sabine tried to close her eyes and go through the process once again, but soon felt the frustration bubbling inside her. Or was that something else…? Damnit she just wanted to eat and shower and lay down and just…

"Do you trust me?" Ezra asked suddenly, bringing her focus back to him in an instant.

"Of course I trust you Ezra. What kind of question is that?" she asked, with a little more ire than she intended. But this night wasn't going very well and she didn't have time for stupid questions.

"Give me your hands" Ezra said, scooting forward on his knees until his touched hers.

Sabine gave him a wary look, but decided she couldn't say no after just mocking him for even asking if she trusted him. She slowly reached out and felt his hands grip hers. They felt much larger in hers than she remembered, despite having held them only yesterday on the communication dish. And with no gloves in the way for either of them, she felt smooth callouses where he normally gripped his lightsaber. And she felt strength. She had been right before, Ezra was not a boy anymore.

"I want to try something, but you need to be ok with it" Ezra told her

"Ok, go for it" she said, her patience growing a little thin. Yeah it felt nice to be holding his hands, but she wasn't going to think about that right now. Even if it was causing a sensation inside her lower abdomen that was decidedly different, and much more enjoyable, than the ones she had been feeling all evening.

"No. I mean, I have to ask your permission. I want to try to…" He broke off, suddenly looking embarrassed

"Try to what Ezra?" She asked testily.

"Well…I want to try to connect with you. Through the Force. Kanan said a Jedi must never enter the mind of another person without their permission, unless it's a life or death emergency"

She let go of his hands and looked at him suspiciously.

"You want to enter my mind? Like reading my thoughts?"

"No, not like that" Ezra said hurriedly, his cheeks growing slightly red as he spoke. "I'm not going to go that far. It's more like, sharing my connection with the Force with you. I guess you'd be more inside my mind than me in yours."

While she had been trying to meditate, Ezra had instead focused on her. As Kanan had taught him long ago, in one of the most important lessons he could impart, Ezra had not gone as far as to try to read her thoughts or invade her mind. Kanan told him that to invade the mind of another, especially unwilling and unware, was a betrayal on many levels, and could even widen the path to the Dark Side. It was one of the reasons why Jedi were so reluctant to use the mind trick even on enemies unless there were no other options. But he had opened his own mind up to feel the emotions she was projecting. And he felt her pain, both physical and emotional. He had no idea why she was in physical pain, but he knew that after all they had been through over the past few weeks, the stress of all that had happened must have been boiling inside her. And he wanted to help.

Sabine thought for a moment about what he had just said. He was going to open her mind up to the Force. 'If my mother could see me now…'

But the more she thought about it, and saw the caring and honest look on Ezra's face, she thought it might be worth a shot. At very least she might find out just a little of what these Jedi thought was so amazing.

Sabine took in a deep breath and then slowly reached back out for his hands, feeling their warmth once again.

"I trust you Ezra. You have my permission" she said finally, committing to whatever might happen next. And if anything untoward happened, she was still armed.

Ezra took a deep breath of his own and prepared for what he was about to do. Kanan had never said that he couldn't use a Force connection to help someone who was willing, and the stories he told about the Force healers back in the Temple during the days of the Republic showed him that such a thing was not frowned upon by the Jedi. He had just never actually done it himself…until now.

"OK, just like before. Close your eyes and calm your breathing. And think about this moment. You need to be fully committed to this for it to work Sabine. You can't just say the words. You have to believe that you're open to it" he told her, not sure if he sounded wise or patronizing.

But again, Sabine did as she was told. The pair closed their eyes and began breathing. She didn't notice when her breaths began to match his own in pace and length. She didn't notice as the sounds of the jungle faded from her mind, and the sensation of his strong hands no longer registered to her.

Sabine didn't notice when the connection had finally been made. But she did notice the effect. It began in her head, but didn't stop there. A gentle tingle, like electricity, or even the pleasure that washed through her body when she was…well like electricity, began moving its way through her neck, into her chest, down to her abdomen, and out through her limbs. Her whole body buzzed with a deep and comforting energy that flowed around her like a blanket on a cold night. Slowly, her mind began to feel lighter. She thought of her family, and the war that was still going on back home, but those thoughts were replaced by a certainty that they would win and everything would be alright. As her worry was replaced by reassurance, all of her thoughts of her family seemed to be plucked from her mind by an unseen hand, leaving only the pleasurable sensation the last and more encouraging thoughts had given her.

She then found herself thinking about the fight on the dish, Ezra and herself nearly falling to their deaths, or shot by the light cruiser. She thought of the fight against those strange black clad Stormtroopers, or being betrayed and bound by Saw as the Kyber crystal neared its cataclysmic destruction. Her anguish over failing to save the prisoners and that their lives were about to be cut short. But those thoughts too were replaced by comfort and peace. They had survived. They had saved the prisoners. Ezra and her hand been there side by side through it all, the steady rock of their friendship seeing them through to the end. And like before, all of these thoughts were taken from her, leaving only the joy she felt from a job well done and their rescue by their family.

Her mind was then led to the fateful moment in the control room, when Tiber Saxon and his traitors were reeling on the ground in pain, at her mercy. The grim satisfaction she felt in watching him suffer as he had made others suffer. And she felt the shame the moment had caused her. She had taken pleasure in the pain of others. Not just to accomplish a mission or to defeat an enemy, but pain for pain's sake. But another thought was pushed into the forefront of her mind. She hadn't gone through with it. She stopped before it was too late. She had been reminded of what it meant to be Mandalorian and the pride she felt that not only in what she fought for, but how she fought.

One by one, almost as a passenger along for the ride, she felt her mind being taken from thought to thought, memory to memory. Horrible images of pain and destruction flooded her mind only to be replaced by memories of success, kinship, laughter, and love. And then those too were taken from her, only the pleasing emotions the positive thoughts gave her remaining.

And then even those were slowly pulled away, but not entirely. Instead of complete and utter joy, she was left with contentment. Instead of unbridled love, she was given acceptance. The strong negative emotions had been taken from her, and the strong positive ones too, but the positive were left as a shadow or echo of themselves, with sense of calm restfulness binding them together. Her mind was at peace, and her body followed.

Sabine slowly opened her eyes as Ezra removed his hands from hers. The young man still knelt before her, his own eyes not yet open, but with a slight smile on his face as he took his final breath of meditation. He had taken all of that from her, and took it into himself. And now he was letting it all out into the Force. He had done that for her. He didn't have to. He wanted to, because he cared.

A single tear flowed down her cheeks, which were themselves flushed red from the cascade of emotions she had just been pulled through.

Ezra opened his eyes when he felt the weight of her body on his, her arms wrapped around him and her cheek against his neck.

"Thank you Ezra"


	3. 2 - Disguises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabine and Ezra have an awkward encounter while changing into their disguises before The Occupation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standard Disclaimer: All characters, references, planets, species, etc are the property of Disney and they retain all rights.
> 
> Timeline: During the beginning of episode 5, Star Wars Rebels 'The Occupation', before heading to Lothal.

'I've got a bad feeling about this' Sabine Wren thought as she carefully placed the last of her thermal detonators inside the small crate which would contain all of her weapons and armor soon.

It had been decided that the crew would go to Lothal disguised and unarmed, just in case the Imperial inspections were more thorough than they had been told. Sabine was not at all comfortable going anywhere without her trusted Mandalorian armor and blasters, much less on an actual mission. It just felt wrong. And from what Visago had told them, it's not like not having weapons would earn them any points with the Imperials anyways.

Sabine now stood inside her room on the Ghost, which was currently docked to The Broken Horn, and the crew were making their last preparations to leave their own ship, place their lives in the hands of yet another criminal, and see what happened. Chopper sat near the door of the room, dutifully waiting for her to finish stowing her gear in the crates that he was carrying in some sort of cargo contraption Hera and Zeb had cooked up with spare parts lying around in the hold. With luck, no one would give Chopper a second glance and he could carry their arms and armor to the planet's surface with them, while they put their trust in the Force as Kanan had said.

Sabine had never had much faith in the Force, despite the things she had seen Jedi do with it, at least until a day or two ago. What Ezra had done for her was so…real. So…personal. She knew that the two Jedi that had become like family to her could do things she couldn't understand, but what she felt when Ezra was…inside her, for lack of a better term, was one of the most mesmerizing and spiritual moments she'd ever experienced. Maybe she could trust in the Force. And if that wouldn't do, she would trust in her family.

Sabine found herself fiddling with one of her WESTAR-35 blasters, not really feeling like she could be parted with them at such a crucial time. But after one last sigh, she mumbled "I guess may the Force be with us" and set the pistol down in the box.

Next came her skin tight body suit, with its attachment points for her centuries old Beskar armor plating, and finally the armor itself.

"I swear Chopper, if you lose this, I'll lose you. And not even Hera will be able to find you again" she scolded him, giving his optical sensor one of the hardest Wren glares she could muster. Chopper gave her a few beeps, and from the sarcasm she could detect in the electronic noise, she knew it had far less effect on him than it had on Ezra.

Sabine stood up and paced to the table under her bed, wearing only her short compression shorts and a sports bra, both as tight as if she had painted them on herself, and wondering where Hera was with this "disguise" she said she'd have for her. She barely heard the door chime as she looked at the assortment of backup gear she'd piled on her desk in anticipation for the mission. And she did not hear the quiet whir of a certain Astromech's servos as he wheeled his way to the door, metal arms reaching for the controls.

She did however hear the door itself as it whisked open. She turned, expecting to see her green skinned second mother, but instead saw the shocked face of Ezra, cheeks turning red as he took in the sight.

"Chopper!" Sabine screamed in horror as the situation dawned on her. But the mischievous droid was already out the door, his deed done, and his arm waving in mechanical laughter.

"Sabine..I..uhhh" Ezra mumbled, looking down at his feet, nearly dropping the bundle of clothing he was carrying.

Sabine darted to the door and mashed the controls as quickly as possible, the door slamming shut and almost knocking Ezra over.

Ezra stood there for a moment, competing feelings of embarrassment, sympathy, and arousal fighting for control of his mind. It was no secret he'd had a crush on the fiery Mandalorian since the moment he laid eyes on her all those years ago. And if that version of Ezra had been standing here instead of him, he might be tempted to try to open the door for another peak.

But he was no longer that boy, and his sympathy finally won the battle. Sabine was his friend, his best friend even. As much as he'd still longed to see the girl in a state of undress such as that, he wanted it to be something she wanted too. Not the result of a mistake or a prank, but an honest and willing decision on her part to take their relationship to the next level. And while their relationship had indeed grown far deeper than he could ever have imagined, that final step did not seem like it would be happening anytime soon, if ever.

Ezra cared deeply for Sabine. She knew this of course by now. One can't spend years on a small freighter, or crammed into a tiny shuttle just the two of them as they had on many occasions, never mind saving each other's lives more times than they could count, without sharing a connection that went deeper than a word like "friendship" could even describe. But she had no idea how much his own feelings had grown. The attraction was still there, as evidenced by the remnants of arousal his brief glance at her toned muscles and entirely too exposed skin had given him. But other feelings had grown alongside that over the years, and finally supplanted his adolescent longings. He would give anything, do anything, say anything, not just to make her happy, but to keep her safe. There was not a living being in the galaxy that had become more important to him than Sabine Wren, and he hoped one day she would feel the same in return.

But so far, she had not. Not truly in the way he wanted anyways. She had not chosen to open that side of herself to him yet, and the intrusion on her privacy, whether from his choice or not, shamed him immensely.

The door opened once again, breaking his own reflections, to reveal Sabine, this time with a large blanket wrapped modestly around her slim form. Faint traces of red in her own cheeks were just starting to vanish, and her eyes would not meet his right away.

"Sabine..I'm sorry…I didn't" he began, but she cut him off.

"Stuff it Ezra. You're not the one who has to worry. That droid on the other hand, is going to be very glad he has all my weapons right now" she told him, trying to regain her composure and return a sense of normalcy to the moment.

"Yeah well, I'll hold him down for you when we catch him" he told her with a smile, trying to brush off the past few minutes by appealing to her desire for revenge.

"I might just take you up on that. Anyways, before I was so rudely interrupted" she said with a glare, "what did you want?"

"A guy can't stop by just to say hi without wanting something?" Ezra teased, feeling like he was back on firm footing and could resume his normal banter.

"A guy, yes. You, no. Spill it" she told him with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine, fine. Hera said you were needing a change of clothes for a disguise…" he said, his cheeks starting to turn ever so slightly pink again.

"Yeah, and? Where is she?" she asked.

"Welllll…she looked and she didn't have anything that might fit you. And then Zeb had to mention that I used to be a lot smaller…and I still had some of my old clothes on the ship…sooo…." he said, holding the orange bundle up and trying to give her his most charming smile and failing.

"Wait, I'm going to be wearing your clothes?" She asked, crossing her arms and almost dropping the blanket.

"Well it's either that or wear what you're wearing now" he said, giving her a raised eyebrow of his own.

"Oh, that's cute. Give em here" Sabine replied with a sigh, taking the bundle from him.

"These smell like you" she told him bluntly, not letting up on the scornful mother act.

"Hey, I thought you liked how I smell" he quipped back, still not forgetting what she told him years ago. He would never let that particular tidbit of information go.

The door slammed in his face once again.

Ezra sighed and turned to leave, counting his losses and allowing himself to be glad he hadn't earned a smack out of the whole ordeal. But lately Sabine had been a lot less abrasive towards him, and she now only slapped him when he most deserved it. Surprisingly now was not one of those times.

Before he could leave however, the door opened once more, and Sabine still stood, wrapped tight in her blanket and holding his clothes.

"Ezra…I'm sorry." she told him, breathing out heavily and finally meeting his eyes with her own. When she stood on the other side of the door, she'd seriously considered just leaving it at that. It's not like she hadn't had a thousand such awkward, embarrassing, or antagonistic encounters with Ezra before. He always bounced back, and they were back to ribbing each other or saving each other, depending on the day, in no time. But this time she just couldn't leave it be. Ezra had changed, and she had too. He hadn't made a single comment about her body, or about wanting another 'show'. He hadn't even really flirted with her all that much. She knew he had more in him and he wasn't giving her both barrels this time. Maybe it was how much time they'd been spending together. Maybe it was their growing ages. Maybe it was their moment the previous night while meditating and he'd…

She sighed again. Whatever it was, she knew she needed to start treating him a little better. Not all the time of course. That man could still get under her skin like no one else. And she had every intention to keep him on his toes and not give him the impression she was going soft. But he had really been trying, for years now, to act more mature with her. And she decided it was time she started returning the favor.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. You didn't do anything wrong and I just…well I'm sorry" she finally said.

Ezra returned to the doorway and looked at her, almost with new eyes. He hadn't expected this. Sure they'd shared a moment last night, when he'd used the Force to calm her mind and even the boiling cauldron of emotions she's had bubbling inside her. But after their long, but not long enough for him, hug, he figured that was the end of it. A one-time moment to be fondly remembered, but not likely repeated.

"It's ok Sabine, I'm pretty used to you by now. And you don't have to apologize to me, ever. For anything" he told her seriously, looking every bit the honorable and selfless man he'd become. "You're the one coming to Lothal with me, risking your life for my home."

"You'd do the same for me. You have done the same for me" she told him quietly, still looking into his eyes.

"Yeah, well, you know I'd follow you anywhere" he said with a laugh, trying to make it sound like a joke. But she could see through it now. He would follow her anywhere. He already had, and he'd do it again. And now it was her turn to show him that she was worthy of such devotion, even if she routinely felt the opposite.

"Smooth Ezra. But you can't follow me in here" she said, with a laugh of her own while backing into her room, and for the first time, a tiny part of her wishing that maybe he would…but she quickly pushed that particular feeling deep down inside her where it belonged.

But just before she closed the door, before her brain had a chance to tell her mouth to shut the hell up, she found herself telling him one more thing.

"Oh Ezra…I do like it".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sabine is juuuuuust starting to maybe sorta kinda get a few little tugs at her heart that she might have a few interesting feelings towards Ezra, but she is in no way going to allow herself to dwell on such things just yet. Will she in the days to come? (Of course she will)


	4. 3 - Disturbances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabine has a bad dream. Ezra is there to help. Kanan and Hera have a nice talk about things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standard Disclaimer: All characters, references, planets, species, etc are the property of Disney and they retain all rights.
> 
> Timeline: Between episodes 5 and 6 of Season 4, Star Wars Rebels. After returning to Ryder's camp after "The Occupation", the night before "Flight of the Defender"

Kanan slowly opened his eyes, a vestigial motion for someone who was woken from slumber, but no longer carried any significance to the Jedi. His brief attempt at sleep had been marred by tremors in the Force. Not from him, but close by. His muscles still sore from the night's fighting, Kanan rose from the small sleeping pad, careful not to disturb the Twi'lek woman who was still sleeping next to him, slipped on his boots, and quietly left the hut. The crew had just gotten to bed in Ryder Azadi's small rebel camp, nestled in the mountains of Lothal's northern hemisphere, and the night's adventures had worn them down more than they realized. But sleep was not coming as easily as one would hope, to Kanan or to someone else it seems.

The tall man made his way through the piles of crates, tents, speeders, and small prefabricated structures that made up the encampment, led by the unseen energy field that bound the universe together. The disturbance he had felt had been short but intense, though it was already fading fast. He located the source and gave a small sigh, knowing he should have guessed it would involve one of the occupants of this particular hut.

He leaned his head inside the door, and 'saw' through the Force, two people. He of course could not actually see them. He couldn't see the black and purple hair or slim body of the girl, nor the short dark blue hair and muscular form of the boy. He couldn't see their well-worn clothing, the lines of worry etched onto faces that were far too young to be forced to deal with such problems, or drying tears on the girls face. Instead, Kanan saw them as they existed within the Force. Two bright forms of energy that made up the life force of sentient beings. The way the energy moved about them gave some human shape to the mass, and through many months of training, discipline, and meditation, he had grown accustomed to using this method of sight almost as well as he had been able to use his eyes.

One of the forms, the smaller of the two, was intertwined with the larger. The remnants of fear, pain, anger, and despair writhing around her life force like thin black tendrils. They connected to the other life-force, being pulled into him through close contact, and Kanan could see them being disbursed into the ground, the air, into the Force itself. The boy was pulling the dark emotions from her and giving them up to the Force.

Kanan was unsure what had caused the disturbance, but he now knew why it was fading. He gave small smile despite himself, and closed the flap, not wishing to wake the sleeping couple. Kanan walked to the edge of the encampment and kneeled down in his customary meditation pose to clear his own mind before returning to his tent.

* * *

_Several minutes before…_

Sabine's eyes shot open, a gasp of pain escaping her lips and her hand flying to her chest where the dream-blaster bolt had struck. She frantically looked around the room, still expecting to see Saxon standing above her, blaster in hand and ready to finish off the last of the Wren clan once and for all. Instead she saw the dull walls of the prefab hut, the only illumination coming from a small portable heater in the corner.

She was back on Lothal.

Suddenly she felt strong arms around her shoulders and a concerned voice whispering in her ear

"Sabine, what's wrong? Are you ok?" Ezra asked her, worry evident in his voice as he struggled to stay quiet. His own dreams had grown darker and darker as he slept, likely due to the dark emotions that had been pouring off Sabine as she suffered in her nightmare only a few meters away. Ezra had been wrestling with his own dark thoughts the entire night. His planet on fire. His home destroyed. His people driven into slavery and exile as the Empire drained Lothal of every usable resource it could before it cast the planet aside like an empty husk. But now was not the time for him to dwell on that. He might rage at the situation in his own time, but when Sabine was in trouble, everything took a back seat to her.

Sabine couldn't speak. She was still gasping in fresh air as if to make sure her lungs were still there and not burned away by the energy from Saxon's blaster, and tears began streaming down her face. She only looked at Ezra and gazed into his deep blue eyes, only faintly visible in the dark hut.

"Sabine it was only a dream, you're ok. You're safe." he whispered, pulling her close. Sabine was generally not fond of close personal contact, and had never been much of a hugger. Even when she stayed behind on Krownest with her family, getting her to even give Kanan a hug before the Jedi departed was a notable event, and she had not given Ezra one at that time. This was something that had pained Ezra more deeply than he had ever let on, but he had no intention of ever telling her that. But now, for the second time in as many days, she found herself in his arms and relishing in the comfort and security his embrace gave her.

The teens stayed like this, Ezra sitting behind her and pulling her to his chest, her simply holding his hands and leaning back into him, feeling his heart beat and the warmth of his skin on hers to contrast the cool night air, for several minutes before either spoke again. She had thrown her own blanket off when she awoke, and was already finding the cold sweat from her nightmare chilling her even more.

"It was just a dream" Ezra whispered into her ear, soothing her with his voice, and pulling her even tighter.

"They were dead Ezra. They were all dead…" she choked out finally, her body shuddering at the memory. The ashes of her clan blown away like dust on Mandalore, victims of her own foolish arrogance. Their charred armor the last sign that there ever was a Clan Wren, and then that too crumbling into nothing. This time her mother and brother had not escaped. Her warning was too late. And Saxon himself had been there, taunting her with her betrayal, reminding her of her failure to save her family, his threats of death almost welcome to her ears as the only way to stop the pain. And then he had given her what she wanted and felt she deserved.

"I couldn't save them…they're all dead. I should be dead…" she continued to say in disjointed and agonizing blurts, sobs still wracking her body.

"They didn't die Sabine. We're all here. You family is alive. You saved them" he continued to reassure her, this time reaching out to the Force for strength and peace, and letting it flow into her, much as he had when they had been meditating.

Sabine felt the change almost immediately. A blanket of comfort enveloped her and her skin tingled with energy. She looked back at Ezra, grasping his hand even harder, knowing what he was doing for her.

"I'm sorry Sabine…do you want me to stop..I didn't ask you if…."

"No!" she almost shouted, pushing herself even closer into his chest and trying to get as much contact with him as she could.

"Just…no…" she said again, quieter this time. And so he continued, letting the infinite peace the Force offered sooth the young woman in his arms, neither speaking until long after he felt her body stop shaking, her heart slow, and her own Force signature relax.

Finally Ezra spoke once more, still quietly and with concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sabine only shook her head and did not let go of his hand. Ezra was leaning against the wall of the hut, and his back had begun to hurt from the hard contact. As much as he may have enjoyed having her in his arms on any other occasion, he knew that they both needed rest before tomorrow's recon of the TIE base, and he sensed that the worst of her troubles was behind her, at least for the night.

Ezra slowly began to untangle his arms from the still motionless and silent woman, making moves to return to his own bedroll to allow her to sleep, and hopefully get as much as he could himself.

But once again she gripped him tighter in resistance and said quietly "Please…stay? Just a little longer…?"

Her voice had recovered some of the strength he was used to hearing in it, and she had stopped crying some time ago, but he could still tell, even without the Force, that she had no desire to be by herself at the moment, not even with him staying on the other side of the small room.

Ezra settled back down against the hard wall, pushing the discomfort of the position from his mind, and using the Force to pull the blanket over to him, and over Sabine until they were both wrapped tight.

"That's cheating" she whispered, an ounce of humor in her voice now, but helping to pull the blanket around them.

"That a complaint? I can send it back and make you grab it." He whispered back, struck by an odd desire to see if she was ticklish and hear her beautiful laugh once more, but choosing not to push his luck this time.

"Shush" she told him, leaning back into him and closing her eyes. Clearly 'a little longer' would be the rest of the night, and soon he could hear the faint sounds of snoring, and saw a tiny trace of drool on the corners of her open mouth. She was out cold and finally getting the true rest, not just sleep, he knew she deserved. With one more smile at the rare picture of vulnerability and plain cuteness he saw in his arms, he closed his own eyes and resumed his communion with the Force, this time taking Sabine along for the ride. This was something he could do for her, and tonight she needed it. She didn't need to ask, and he was more than willing to help. Within a few moments, he too was lost in a mix of sleep and meditation, and did not see the face the poked through the flap, nor the smile the sight of the two of them together caused.

* * *

"Credit for your thoughts?"

Kanan still knelt at the edge of the camp , gazing without sight into the windswept landscape of the now ruined Lothal countryside. He could not see the pillars of smoke that rose into the sky far off in the distance, but he could sense the general unease, fear, and sadness that had gripped the planet since their return. Night would be turning to morning soon, and the rest of the camp was getting some much needed sleep after Ryder's nick-of-time rescue from the sewer tunnels.

Kanan had been lost in thought and did not hear the approach of Hera until she spoke.

"Hmmm?" Kanan said distractedly, looking over at the young Twi'lek woman and feeling a twinge of regret that he could not see the way the moonlight played off her bright green eyes and exotic skin. Even years later, he still found himself speechless at her beauty, even if only in memory now.

"You should come back to bed love, we have a long day tomorrow" Hera said warmly, standing next to him and reaching to grasp his strong arm. His absence had caused her to wake as well, and she went out in search of her Jedi love, finding him lost in thought where he now knelt.

"Hmm" Kanan said again non-committally, looking once again back over the landscape.

"Kanan…is everything ok?" Hera asked, not needing mystical Jedi powers to tell that her lover was deep in uncertain thoughts.

"Yeah…I'm fine. Just…" he began, but trailed off.

"Kanan" she said again. She knew he had things to say, but the man often needing a bit of prodding to reveal what was on his mind. His youth in the Jedi order had made its mark on him, and even now he was still somewhat reluctant to allow his emotions to flow unbidden.

Kanan turned to look at her again and then spoke.

"It's a long way from Gorse" he replied with a wistful expression on his face. Even though his eyes were now milky white and sightless, Hera could still read them like they were written in aurebesh.

"Is that what you're thinking about?" Hera said with a bit of shock in her voice. It had been years since the two of them met in the Gorse system and triggered a sequence of events that would save the lives of millions, and propel them on a course through life together, leaving each better than they could ever have been apart.

"Yeah…I was just thinking about how far we've come" Kanan answered.

"Well…it has been a long journey. I never dreamed what we started that day would lead to all this. The Rebellion has grown so much. But there's still so much to do…" Hera said with just a dash of hopelessness. She was fully committed to the cause of course. She would see this through to the end. But there were nights when she doubted it would ever truly be a success. When children would be born into a galaxy that was free from the Empire.

"You're right. It has" Kanan said. "And we'll be there to see it done. Whatever shape that takes, we're going to win….but that wasn't what I meant"

"Oh." Hera replied, repeating his words in her mind. "Ohhh…how far we've come" she answered, now understanding the implications of his words.

"I don't regret it Kanan. None of it. I would do it all over again right now if I had to." she said softly, taking his hand as the couple sat down in the lightly colored grass.

"I know love. We're in this together. Whatever this is" Kanan said, his own words soft but with the suggestion of steel hard resolve underneath.

The couple sat in silence for several more minutes, enjoying the warmth of each other's presence and the comfort they found in the touch of their hands.

Kanan let out a sudden chuckle which drew a look of bemused confusion from Hera.

"Do you remember that first week? I was such a…"

"Jerk? Ass? Cocky, smug, and arrogant punk?" Hera completed his sentence for him with a laugh of her own.

"Well I wasn't going to put it quite that way, but yes. All of those things, and more. How did you even put up with me?"

Hera waited for a few seconds, as if deep in thought herself.

"Because I saw who you really were. What was underneath that disguise you were wearing. I saw the people you helped, the selflessness you showed, even to those who didn't deserve it. I saw what kind of man you were, even when you didn't see it in yourself"

Kanan simply nodded and seemed to fall back into his own thoughts. He didn't need to say thank you. The pair were far past needing to hear the words to know that it was always felt by both of them.

"What's this really about?" Hera asked, knowing that this sort of talk wasn't something Kanan just had randomly.

"I was thinking about today. Well, the past few years and today. And our kids". Kanan and Hera had long since began to refer to Sabine and Ezra as their "kids". Not Zeb of course, who was more like a weird uncle or brother to Kanan. Despite none of them being related in any way, the role of surrogate father and mother seemed to fall on their shoulders almost immediately. First to Sabine, the cagey, untrusting, reclusive, and sometimes angry Mandalorian girl who had come under their wing first. Running from a family who didn't trust her or support her decisions, looking to make a difference in a galaxy full of hate and pain, but not knowing where to begin. Hera had been remined of herself almost immediately, and took to a shine to the girl even before Kanan had asked to bring her into the crew. Then Ezra, who showed many of the same traits, but also had a certain panache and swagger to him, as well as a deep seated and secret pain of his own, from losing his parents and anyone who ever loved him, struggling to survive on the streets of this very planet. Almost like a young Kanan Jarrus….

And then she got it. Hera knew what Kanan had been thinking and what caused it.

"Ah. I see." Hera said, putting the pieces together.

"They're so like us. How we were. What we've become. The good and the bad".

"They are that" Hera said, looking over her shoulder and back to the hut in which Sabine and Ezra were sleeping. Not sleeping together of course (that she knew at least). But in the same room nonetheless. She reflected on the past several years herself. She remembered how Sabine would shut herself up in her cabin, only coming out for meals, missions, or repairs. How she fought against letting anyone get close to her for so long. It had taken Hera months to even begin to crack the ice with her. Ezra of course, made his splash the first day, shamelessly flirting with her, ignoring her personal boundaries, needling her with comments and questions, getting under her skin every moment they were together. Sabine's fist had slammed into her cabin's door controls many times, shutting the door right in the face of the dumbfounded and lovestruck Lothalian kid.

And now there they were. Sleeping only meters away from each other when Hera had last checked. Neither ever seemed to speak about it, or make any other moves, advances, or announcements. Ezra's clownish attempts at flirting had gone by the wayside years ago. But the pair was seldom far from each other these days. There was no question in the minds of Hera, Kana, or even others in the Rebellion that they were a matched set. Tied at the hip. If you planned on sending Ezra somewhere, you'd better assume Sabine was going with him, and vice versa. Neither teen put their relationship into words, and Hera was certain that it had not yet moved anywhere close to romance or more carnal activities. But a relationship of some kind it was nonetheless.

"So you've noticed it too?" Hera asked, turning back to look at her partner.

"It's been hard not to. I never thought it would happen, the way they acted that first year after Ezra joined us. But I guess I should have expected it. Given how we turned out."

"Well it's not quite that far along yet…" Hera said, thinking about her and Kanan's own sleeping arrangements.

"Yeah, but for how much longer. You've seen them together. They've become their own team. It's almost like they don't even need us anymore".

"They still need us Kanan. Ezra still needs you. No one is going to replace you, not even her."

"I know, I wasn't complaining" Kanan said, squeezing her hand. "I didn't mean that we're being replaced. Just that..they work so well together. All the work we've done preparing them, taking care of them, teaching them. It's all coming together. Like everything is falling into place and the only ones who don't notice it are them. I think it's good for them. To have someone like that in their lives. It was good for us. Why shouldn't they get the same chance?"

"Is that why you've been pushing me to assign them together so often?" Hera asked, knowing the answer and continuing before he could reply.

"You might not know this, but I noticed it too. And I was going to team them up anyways. I don't think they would let me do anything else now. He used to follow her around like a lost puppy. But now, they're just…together." Hera said with a sigh.

"She hasn't said anything to you has she?...About..?" he asked.

Kanan didn't need to say what he meant. Hera knew. "No. I mean we still talk when we can. It's been harder than it used to be. With her back with her family, and then only back with us to help escape Atollon before she took you and Ezra right back with her to Mandalore. But we've had a few chats here and there. And no, I'm not telling you everything she said" Hera told him with a pointed look in her eye, but a slight smirk that indicated she wasn't lecturing him.

"Hey, I'm not trying to get you to spill the gossip to me" Kanan said holding up his hands. "I just need to know what my Padawan is getting himself into, if it goes that way"

"Well she has been suspiciously silent about that topic" Hera informed him. "She used to complain about him constantly."

"You never told me that" Kanan said quizzically, wondering if there was more to the story.

"Nothing major. Just girl stuff. Teenager stuff. Him eating her food. Making noise when she was trying to sleep or paint. Little things."

"You said used to" Kanan said.

"Yeah, used to. Ezra has become a topic she won't discuss with me at all. I haven't pried or anything. She just stopped bringing it up. I guess maybe about a year ago?"

"Yeah that sounds about right" Kanan said, thinking back to his own moments with Ezra. He had been coopted into not only teaching the boy the ways of the Force, but the ways of life too. As Ezra grew into the man he now was, he had no one else to turn to in order to learn the finer points of being a man. The Master and Apprentice had spent many an evening after meditation or training just talking about life, growing up, and of course, relationships.

While Kanan had always been circumspect in how much he told Ezra about his relationship with Hera, the topic of romance and dating inevitably came up when raising a young teenage boy. And with such talk, Sabine had become a common theme. Ezra had tried to hide his feelings towards her in front of his Master, which was foolish given how loudly he broadcast them in any other situation. But Kanan of course had known, and had always cautioned patience, understanding, temperance, and compassion. The ways of the Jedi applied to many aspects of life. At the time he didn't think there was ever a chance Sabine would return the boy's affection, and figured Ezra would simply grow out of it in time. Better to teach him to calm himself and let whatever might happen, happen. To live in the moment.

But apparently not all of his lessons had fallen on deaf ears, and over the intervening years, Ezra had indeed matured. He had taken his Master's words to heart and slowly but surely, his dirty jokes, sly come-ons, and prodding questions toward Sabine had been replaced with a steady and earnest friendship with the girl. And it was beginning to seem like maybe that had finally done the trick. Maybe. She still gave no indication to him or anyone else, that Kanan knew of at least, that she harbored any romantic feelings towards Ezra, though seeing them sleeping arm in arm tonight caused him to wonder how accurate that assessment still was. She still made the occasional sarcastic or biting comment towards him, which was itself one of the ways she showed she cared for someone. But it seemed that that's as far as it went.

Except for the minor fact that now neither of them appeared to be capable of not being in the same room as each other for more than a few minutes without getting antsy and worried. Like they just needed to be close, maybe for reasons neither of them were even aware of. When it was time to pick the teams for the assault on the Imperial prison, it was just a given that Sabine and Ezra would be together. The attack on the communications relay? Sabine and Ezra. Getting away from Visago's ship and connecting with the local rebels? Sabine and Ezra. Even tomorrow's mission to spy on the TIE Defender base. Sabine and Ezra. Each and every time the crew needed to be split up, Sabine and Ezra would not be. In briefings, at meals, and now apparently even when sleeping. Sabine and Ezra.

Even back on Yavin when Kanan took Ezra out to meditate or train, she wasn't far behind. She didn't know that he knew she had fallowed them out to the clearing when they were meditating. And that she had stayed behind to be with Ezra after Kanan had left. The pair were simply inseparable. And Kanan had a pretty good idea of where that would lead, even if the teens didn't know themselves.

"Do you think they even know?" Kanan asked, breaking his train of thought.

"Honestly, on some level. I think they both know they're happier and more capable together than apart. You've seen the way they just gravitate towards each other anytime there's a chance. She's always standing next to him, he's always looking at her. But no, I don't think they know why they're like that. Only that they are and it feels better to go with it."

"I might have to have a talk with my young apprentice about this…" Kanan said, contemplating how to handle this.

"I'm not going to second guess how you train Ezra. We both know that's something I'm not at all qualified to even have an opinion on. But I do think I know a thing or two about dealing with this issue. You want my advice? Just let it be for now. Whatever it is, it's obviously working for them. If they decide to take the next step, good for them. If not, well maybe that's good for them too. If they need our help, we can give it, but I think for now it's better we just let it work itself out." Hera advised him sagely.

"Point taken dear" Kanan said, letting the issue fall aside for now. Hera was right, of course. That was nothing new. Kanan had done quite a bit of maturing himself, and the cocky, flirty, and usually drunk young man Hera found on Gorse had evolved into the wise, compassionate, and honorable man that now sat beside her. He knew when his better half was speaking the truth, and now was one of those times. He was still tempted to broach the topic with Ezra sometime in the near future, but she was right. Better to practice some of the patience he taught and see what happened. If Ezra needed his guidance or advice, he would give it. Until then, he could continue to serve as an example of the kind of man Ezra would and should grow to be.

"Though you might be wrong on the timeline. I think their relationship might be moving along a little faster than either of us suspected" he continued.

"Oh really? And what gives you that idea?" She said skeptically. She was not yet aware of what had happened in the hut behind them.

"Well I just checked on them before coming out here, and I found them cuddling like, well like two teenagers in love. I think Sabine had a nightmare and Ezra decided to help calm her. They're both asleep now."

"I see." Hera said evenly, her own mind working through the scenario. "Maybe I'll have to have a little talk with Sabine myself."

"Oh no" Kanan said, picking a piece of grass off the ground and lightly tickling one of Hera's lekku while he spoke. "You just told me I have to wait and see. You don't get to run off and play matchmaker with her. If I have to wait, so do you" he teased.

"Stop it" Hera said, but Kanan kept brushing the blade of grass against her skin, causing her to shudder. "I said stop it" she growled playfully, a smile breaking out on her face as she used her lekku to swat the grass away. "You know they're sensitive"

"Mmmm I do know that" Kanan said lowly, scooting even closer to her. "I know that very well…"

"And I think that is the sign for us to head back to bed dear" Hera said with a sultry voice, rising to her feet and leading him by the hand.

"Yes Captain" Kanan said with a smirk, getting to his feet and following her back into the camp. It was indeed time for them to both get back to bed. Though how much sleep they would be getting was another story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Had to get a little Kanera action in there of course. I'm more of a sabezra fan, but Kanan and Hera sure do make a great couple themselves. We finally got to see their first on-screen kiss, though I don't think that's actually the first time they've kissed in their relationship. There's been hints that Kanan has been staying in Hera's room on the Ghost, so I've got to think that something has happened between them before what we saw. As for Sabine and Ezra in my story, she's still warming up to him and they're still getting closer. As we see in the show, the amount of time they spend together shot up like tenfold compared to what we saw in season 3, so clearly something is going on. Next time, Sabine finally starts to think about her feelings and what all this might mean...stay tuned.


End file.
